Coin-operated vending-machine.



No. 767,134. PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904. L. B. BROWN. COIN OPERATED VENDINGMACHINE.

\ APPLIUATION FILED MAY 16, 1904. V 2 snsms-smm 2.

UNITED STATES Patented August 9, 1964.

PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD B. BROWN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

COIN-OPERATED VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,134, dated August9, 1904;.

Application filed May 16, 1904;. Serial No. 208,106. (No model.)

To all whorl 1, i/z Hui/y concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD B. BROWN, a citizen of the United StatesotAmerica, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inCoin-Operated Vending-lVlachines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to coin operated vending-machin es, andespecially to a machine 01" this type for vending paper carried in aroll in a suitable box or casing.

The object ofthe invention is to improve the construction of a machineof this charaeter whereby the introduction of a coin effects theactuation of certain parts upon the movement of which the uncovering ofthe paperdelivering slot and the initial gravity-actuated movement ofthe paper-roll depend and whereby the free end of the paper strip may beprojected out of the casing in position to be grasped by the fingers, afurther object being to provide means to reset the parts (ready forfurther actuation by a coin) by the further rotation of the roll,effected by drawing the free end of the strip out of the casing, a stillfurther object of the invention being to provide means whereby when acertain length of paper has been drawn off of the roll to effect theactuation of a device to move over the paper-delivery slot in the casingto hold the strip while being torn 0'11 and to secure the loose end ofthe strip in the box in such position that it cannot be reached by thehand. v

Certain other novel features forming part of the invention will bedisclosed in the following specification, all-of the novel featuresbeing summarized in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings accompanying this application, Figure 1 is a sectionalelevation on line 1 1, Fig. 2, of a device in which this invention isembodied. Fig. 2 is another sectional elevation taken on line 2 2,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in anotherposition. Fig. 1 is a trans verse section on line 4+1, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 isa perspective view of a frame for holding a roll of paper, the tubularcenter of said roll being shown on the frame. There is also shown inthis figure a segmental ring separated from the ring on the end 01'' theroll-frame, the

function of which will be duly described.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a portion of the weightedrings and showing parts oi two levers which engage the rings to holdthem in a certain relative position one to the other.

Referring now to the drawings, a, indicates the casing in which themechanism is inclosed. This casing, as shown in Fig. 1, is provided onone side with a door 7), the lower edge of which is let into atransversely-slotted base-piece, the door being fastened in anydesirable manner. It is intended that the box or casing shall be securedto a wall, clipscbeing provided for that purpose. In that side of thebox opposite the door and about centrally thereo'l there is mounted ashaft (Z, rigidly secured to the box and extending across the latter,the free end thereof being preferablysupported in a hole in the door 5.When the door is removed, the roll-frame 6 may be pulled ofi' of theshaft 03 to have a new roll applied thereto.

The roll of paper is indicated by f and is wound on a pasteboard orother tubular core g, which may he slipped over the frame a, the latterbeing provided with a thin blade lvto secure the roll non-rotatablythereon. Usually the paper is wound on the core in a strip composed ofthree thicknesses. The roll rotates freely on the shaft d, and fixed inone end thereof is a ring 7', a portion l': of which, as shown in Fig.5, is made solid to provide a suitable weight. This solid portion islocated at an angle 01 ninety degrees fromashoulder m on the ring,whereby when said shoulder is in the position shown in Figs. 1 or 5 theweighted part of the ring will operate to hold it against aretaining-pin a, the latter being in a lever 0,, pivoted at p. The upperend of this lever carrying the pin a is slightly heavier than theopposite end of the lever,

whereby said pin will always hear down on* the edge of the ring j, readyto fall into position behind the shoulder m. The downwardlyinclined armof the lever 0 (shown in back out the ring in dotted lines in Fig. 1 andlot tered 0') is disposed in the path of a pin g, which is located inthe side of a .sccond ring '1', this ring beingyshown mostclearly inFig. 5. This, like the ring j, is weighted and provided with a shouldera, similar to the shoulder m on the ring ,7, with which a pin 2? on alever it engages, this lever being pivoted also on the pin 19. This,like the lever 0, is L- shaped, the downwardly-inclined end a of whichextends through a slot 41 in the rear. edge of a coin-chute 20, wherebysaid end will lie in the path of a coin passing through said chute, thelatter being perpendicularly arranged on one side of and in one cornerof the casing, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4c, the lower portion thereofextending obliquely across the side of the casing, its lower end beinglocated over a coin-receptacle 50. v

i The weighted portion 1* of the ring 9 is in the same relation relativeto the shoulders thereon as is the weighted portion is of the ring Wethus have a ring 7' on the end of the paper-roll frame, the lever 0contiguous thereto and between the rings j and 9 and the lever ucontiguous to the ring 9" between it and thecasing, the rings having acommon axis and the levers having a common axis, the horizontal end ofthe lever a being weighted to overbalance the down-hanging end a.

As shown in Fig. 5, the ring 0' is segmental in shape, and therefore astop, as the pin y, is driven into the casing, whereby when the openside of said ring r is uppermost the end of the lever 11 will beprevented from falling. On the contiguous sides of the rings j and r aretwo pins 3 and 4:, the pin 3 being on the ring j. These pins are solocated relative to the centers of the rings that they willinterceptthat is to say, when a coin releases the lever to the ring 0'will by reason of the position of its weighted portion make a partialrevolution, which will carry its pin 1 away from the pin 3, and when theroll is rotated the pin 3 on the ring will pick up this pin 4, wherebyduring the remainder of the rotary movement of the ring j both ringswill rotate as one. By this means the shouldersm and s in-said ringswill be brought around simultaneously to the position shown in Figs. 1and 6that is, against the pins in the levers 0 and a which movementcarries the weighted portion of the ring to such position that the ringswill be held in the position shown in Fig. 1that is, ready for anotheroperation when the lever u is tripped by a coin.

Mechanism is provided whereby the initial movement ofthe ring 1' willmove a slide, which covers the exit or paper-delivery slot 5 in thebottom of the box, leaving said slot clear for the passage of the freeend of the strip of paper 6, which carried through said slot by apartial rotation of the paper-roll, means to effect which will now bedescribed, the slot-closing mechanism being described farther on. henthe initial movement of the ring 1' takes place by the tripping of thelever was described, the pin q-on said ring 1 will engage the lower. end0 of the lever 0, which at that point lies in its path, and will therebydisengage the pin 02/ from the shoulder m ofv the ring 1, whereupon theweighted portion 76 of the ring j willgive the latter a partialrotation, shooting the free end of the paper strip 6 down through theslot 5, which, as stated above, has just previously been opened by theinitial movement of the ring 0'. Thus immediately after the trippingof-the lever 20 by a coin the end of the paper strip will be projectedthrough the slot 5, the two weighted portions of the ring will behanging downward with their pins 3 and in position of engagement, and ifthe strip of paper now be grasped and pulled 01f of the roll the pin 1will pick up the pin 3, as described, and both rings be rotated aroundto the position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the pins in the levers 0 andu will bring them to a stop. At this point the free end of the strip ofpaper may be torn off by pulling it against thetoothed edge of a stripof metal 7, located along the front edge of the slot 5, and at the sametime the slot-closing plate 8 will be swung against said strip at apoint above the latter, thus holding the free end of the strip against aspring-plate 9, the forward edge of the slot-closing plate 8 beingserrated like the strip of metal 7.

The means for closing and opening the slot 5 are constructed andarranged as follows: On one side of the box, as on a pin 10, an arm 12is hung, the upper end of which lies in the path of a pin 13 on the ring9', and the opposite end of the arm is connected by apin 1a with acrank-arm 15, which is slotted to give the proper play to the pin 14when the arm 12 is moved. The slot-closing plate 8 is supported on twodepending arms 16, the lower ends of which have acommon axis(represented by the pins'17) on which said arms and said plate may swingto carry the plate over the slot, as shown in Fig. 1, or to permit it tofall backward, as shown in Fig. 3, leaving the slot open, and thecrank-arm 15 is so connected with one of the arms 16 as to impart thismovement to the plate 8. Between the pin 10 on which the arm 12 swingsand the lower end of said arm a guard-plate 18 is rigidly secured insuch position that it will be horizontal when the slot 5 is covered,whereby it will be impossible to insert any instrument at the point19-for example, to

pick thecoins out of the receptacle 0 or to guard-plate will preventaccess to the coinreceptacle while the slot 5 is opened.

The slot-closing plate 8 is actuated as follows: As stated above, theupper end of the arm 12 lies in the path of a pin 13 on the ring I, therelation of the parts being clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and when theparts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 ready for operation when thelever n is tripped by a coin the pin 13 will bear on the extreme upperend of the said arm 12, thus positively holding the closing-plate 8 overthe slot 5. As soon as the lever a has been tripped by a coin and theweighted portion r of the ring r has imparted the initial movement tothe latter said pin 13 will move out of contact with the end of saidarm, and the latter will be swung up to the position shown in Fig. 3, inwhich position it will remain until the pin 13 again comes in contactwith the edge of the lever, which will be toward the end of the movementimparted to said ring by the drawing 01f of the paper, and when theshoulder s comes in contact with the stop-pin on the lever a the pin 18will have depressed the upper end of the arm 12 and then closed the'slot5, the parts being again in the position shown in Fig. 1.

Preferably an idler-roll 20, hung in a suitable frame 21, is mounted inthe casing to bear on the roll of paper to prevent the overthrow of thelatter and itssubsequent oscillation at the time the initial rotation isimparted thereto by the weighted portion of the ring].

When the rollf is wound, a printed slip 22 is secured to the inner endthereof and faces a window 23, the word Empty being printed on the slipin order that it may be seen when the contents of the latter have beenexhausted.

The spring-plate 9 not only serves as a sort of a stripper-plate to pushthe torn end of the paper ofl the serrated plate 7, but it also servesas a guard to prevent "the paper from being torn when it is drawn 011"the roll by being pulled across the toothed edge of this plate.Furthermore, the expansive action of the spring 9 behind the plateserves when the arm 12 is released to push back the slot-covering plate8, thus adding to the positivcness of the movement of the parts attachedto the lower end of the arm 12.

From the foregoing description it is seen that the operation of thesedevices is as follows, the parts being set as in Fig. 1: The coin beingintroduced into the open end w of the coin-chute to will in its descentstrike the end a of the lever 1r and will raise the pin t out of theslot s of the ringr. The weighted portion of this ring will impartinitial rotary movement thereto, causing first of all the pin 13 todisengage the end of the arm 12, which will effect the actuation of theplate 8, as above described,to uncover the slot 5. The pin q, carriedbythe ringr, will strike the depending end 0' of the arm 0, raising thepin it, thus permitting the weighted portion of the ring 7' to partiallyrotate the roll f, whereby the free end of the paper strip 6 will beprojected through the slot 5, the springplate 9 meanwhile covering theedge of the toothed plate 7. This free end of the strip may be graspedand the roll rotated until the weighted. portions of the rings have beencarried over their centers, and as these shoulders m and s on theringsjand 0' approach the pins n and t, by which themovement of thelatter is arrested, the pin 13 will have borne down the upper end of thearm 12, thus causing the plate 8 to move over the slot 5 to catch thestrip of paper between the toothed edges of the plates 7 and 8,whereupon the end of the strip may be torn off, the spring-plate 9operating to hold the free end of the paper within the casing in contactwith the toothed edge of the plate, as shown in Fig. 1, the mechanismbeing in position to be again operated by the introduction of anothercoin.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A coin-operated vending-machine of the character described comprisinga rotatable frame'to receive a roll of paper; a ring on the frame, aseparate ring loose on the axis of the frame, and separate swingingmembers to engage the riugs, means, as weights, to hold the rings inengaging position with said members and to hold them in a certainposition one relative to the other; a coin-ehutc having an openingtherein into which one of said members extends, means on said loose ringto engage one end of the other of said members, where by when said loosering is set free by the actuation of the member extend ing into thecoinchute it will eliect the disengagement of the other swinging memberfrom the ring on the paper-frame to permit the unrolling movement of thelatter.

2. In a machine of the class described, an overbalanced rotatablepaper-holding frame,

a tripping device therefor; an overbalanced rotatable member loose onthe axis of the frame, and a tripping device for said loose member;means to actuate the tripping device of said last-named member by theintroduction of a coin into the machine, and means on said member toactuate the tripping devices associated with the frame whereby theoverbalancing element of the latter will impart rotary movement theretoto unroll more or less of the paper on the frame.

3. In a machine of the character described, an over-balanced rotatable,paper holding frame, an overbalanced rotatable member loose on the axisof the frame, separate tripping de vices for the frame and for saidloose, rotatable member, to hold these parts in certain relativeposition one to the other; a box to contain said rotatable frame and itsassociated parts there being a slot in the box through ITO ' rotatablemember to effect the movement of the slot-cover away from the slot,prior to the release of the paper-holding frame.

4. In a machine of the character described, a rotatable,paper-holdingframe, a second rotatable member loosely mounted on thesame axis, said frame and said member being overbalanced; two levers,one associated with said member and the other with said frame; means toactuate one of said levers by the introduction of a coin into themachine to permit said rotatable member to swing on its axis; means onsaid member to engage the lever associated with said frame to permit thelatter to subsequently swing on its axis, to effect the projection ofthe end of a roll of paper on the frame .through the delivery-slot ofthe machine, and means whereby the further rotation of the frame willeffect the further rotation of said loose member, whereby the latter andsaid frame may be engaged by said levers.

5. In a machine of the character described, a rotatable paper-holdingframe, a second rotatable member loosely mounted on the same axis, saidframe and said member being overbalanced; two levers, one associatedwith said member and the other with said frame; means to actuate one ofsaid levers by the introduction of a coin into the machine to permitsaid rotatable member to swing on its axis; means on said member toengage the lever associated with said frame to permit the latter tosubsequently swing on its axis to effect the projection of the end of aroll of paper on the frame through the delivery-slot of the machine, andmeans whereby the further rotation of the frame will effect the furtherrotation of said loose member, whereby the latter and said frame may beengaged by said levers; a suitable casing for said paper-frame andassociated parts having a delivery-slot therein; a cover for said slot,and means associated with said loose rotatable member whereby theinitial movement of the latter will effect the movement of saidslot-cover away from the slot.

LEONARD B. BROWN.

l/Vitnesses:

WVM. H. OHAPIN, K. I. GLnMoNs.

